The Other Iraq’s Future

The future of “The Other Iraq” remains unclear. This applies to both the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and this blog.

I completed my Master’s thesis on May 7 and graduated with an MA in Middle East Studies from George Washington University on May 16. The thesis, titled “Dependent Aspirations: The Oil Policies of the Kurdistan Regional Government,” provided me with a great opportunity to travel to Kurdistan and learn more about the KRG’s oil policies from the Kurdish perspective. I would like to thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Bulent Aliriza, for his guidance throughout the process. It is also necessary that I thank the many individuals willing to speak with me in Erbil. Without their valuable insight, the paper would not be what it is today.

The Institute for Middle East Studies at GW’s Elliott School of International Affairs has posted the paper on its website as part of “Student Research.” The paper can currently be accessed by clicking the following link: Dependent Aspirations: The Oil Policies of the Kurdistan Regional Government. I am in the process of trying to get the paper published in a Middle East/U.S. foreign policy-related journal in the U.S. sometime this summer, so may end up being required to delete it from this page at some point.

“The Other Iraq” blog will remain active, although I do not have a clear plan for its future content or level of activity. This will largely depend on my place of employment and specific focus of work going forward. Whichever direction I move toward, I hope to continue working on issues related to political and oil affairs of Kurdistan and Iraq in general.

There are many in Iraq, and throughout the region, that are rooting against the Kurds, but I can attest that there are many special things going on in Kurdistan. The politics between the KRG and Iraq’s central government will remain critical to the future of Iraq and U.S. interests for years to come. It will be interesting to follow as an analyst and even more exciting to get involved in on a more personal level.